Agency for Cultural Aﬀairs
Regional Historical Materials Networks
Archaeological Centers
Folk Cultural Properties

Academic Societies

Literature
Cultural Properties

Non-proﬁt Organizations (NPO)
Books & Documents
Storage

Art Museums

Research Institutions
Educational Institutions
Boards of Education
Science

Libraries

Local Government Agencies

Monuments

Natural History

Ethnology
History

Government Ministries and Agencies

Archaeology

Structures

Secretariat Office, Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation Network
Independent Administrative Institution, National Institutes for Cultural Heritage
13 - 9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110 - 8712
Tel : +81-(0)3-3822 -1111 Mail : info_bosai@nich . go . jp URL:https : // ch-drm . nich . go . jp /National Task Forcefor the Cultural Heritage
Disaster Risk Mitigation Network
Japan
Supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan,
Grants-in-Aid for Promotion of Culture and Arts

Archives
Liaison Councils(Project to Support Art Museums and History Museums in Priority Areas)

Financial Aid

Traditional Technique

Conservation Technique
Linguistics
Transportation
Fine-arts and Crafts
Intangible Cultural Properties

Museums

Project to Support Art Museums andHistory Museums in Priority Areas

Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation Network (CH-DRM Net), Japan

Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation Network, Japan

Message from the President

Protecting and Transmitting Cultural Heritage into the Future

Paintings being evacuated from Rikuzentakata City Museum, Iwate Prefecture, July 2011.

The National Task Force for the Japanese Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation (CH-DRM①

Net),Japan began in July 2014 with the goal of constructing a national network to help protect cul-②

tural heritage from the risk of disasters. This initiative was based on earlier activities by the Committee for Salvaging Cultural Properties Affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake off the Pa-①Executive Committee of the Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation Network(Tokyo National Museum, 2017).

③

cific Coast of Tohoku and Related Disasters, instigated in March 2011.

②Vacuum freeze dryers used to dry water damaged paper materials such as ancient documents(Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties).

④④③Salvage of water damaged administrative documents at Joso City Hall, Ibaraki Prefecture (2015).
④Documentation of intangible cultural heritage in specific regions(Photo: Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties)

During the past four years, participation in the CH-DRM Network has steadily increased and improved to comprise 24 entities, including Japanese museums, libraries, archives and academic societies. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude for the support received from organizations in awide range of fields, including local government agencies and regional historical materials networks.
Unfortunately, during the same period, there have been a number of natural disasters including torrential rains in Kanto and Tohoku in 2015, the Kumamoto Earthquakes and Tottori Earthquake in 2016,
and torrential rains in northern Kyushu in 2017. The formulation of measures to mitigate cultural heri-01

Message from the President

02

tage disaster risk and the construction of a salvage system for cultural heritage from disaster areas are

Purpose and Context of CH-DRM Net Activities

03

urgent issues. In response, we are striving to further strengthen our cooperation with related organiza-

Goals of the National Task Force for CH-DRM Net

05

tions such as the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and to promote and strengthen our CH-DRM Net activities.

Organization

05

1. Steps to Building a Framework

07

2. Research and Surveys

09

3. Capacity Building and the Release and Dissemination of Information

11

Activities

13

Overview and List of Participating Organizations

14

I look forward to your kind support and cooperation in protecting and preserving Japan’ s important
cultural heritage into the future.

November 2017
Chair, Headquarters of the National Task Force for the Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation Network (CH-DRM Net), Japan
President, National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH), Independent Administrative Institution

Keiji Matsumura

02

Purpose and Context of CH-DRM Net Activities

Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation Network, JapanThe Quest to Develop a Framework for Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation
Artwork being carried out of the Ishinomaki Cultural Center, Miyagi Prefecture, April 2011.

in preparation for natural disasters large andwas damaged by the Great East Japan

small predicted to occur in the future. Thisponents:

and Related Disasters. (It has 24 participat-

Earthquake and subsequent tsunamis of

opinion was released as a recommendation(1) One component, which is operated ining organizations as of November 2017).

March 2011. The explosions at nuclearof the symposium. In response, the Agency

accordance with the governmental policy

Ideally, disaster risk mitigation for cultur-

power plants forced citizens to evacuate

for Cultural Affairs (ACA) and NICH held aframework of the Agency for Cultural Affairs,

al heritage focuses first on precautionary

the disaster region leaving behind numer-

review. In July 2014, the National Task Forceprefectures, and municipalities as stipulated

measures that prevent or mitigate damageous cultural properties. At the request of thefor the Japanese Cultural Heritage Disasterby the Law for the Protection of Cultural

to cultural heritage in unfortunate circum-

Agency for Cultural Affairs, a Committee for

Risk Mitigation Network (CH-DRM Net) was

Properties, deals with the day-to-day con-stances and deploys professionals with ap-

Salvaging Cultural Properties Affected byorganized with the support of the ACA’s

servation and management of cultural heri-propriate expertise who can take swift

the 2011 Earthquake off the Pacific Coast ofGrants-in-Aid for Promotion of Culture andtage as well as the implementation of re-action to assess the extent of damage, andTohoku and Related Disasters (Secretariat:

Arts (Project to Support Art Museums andporting, information sharing, and salvage

to design and implement salvage activities.

Tokyo National Research Institute for Cul-

History Museums in Priority Areas).

activities during emergencies.

④
①
③
②

03

④
⑤

②④Numerous experts and volunteers gathered fromthroughout Japan in order to organize disaster-affected
documents from Joso City.
③ Surveys of cultural heritage located in specific regions(Kyushu National Museum).
⑤ Vacuum freeze dryers in the Nara National ResearchInstitute for Cultural Properties.

CH-DRM Net comprises three main com-

(2) A second component comprises prefec-

In order to achieve these goals, theand culture organizational stakeholders, in-

NICH next established the Headquarters

tural associations of museums, libraries, andNational Task Force for CH-DRM Net con-cluding the National Institutes for Culturalof the National Task Force for CH-DRM Net,archives, as well as regional alliances suchducts research on technical issues related to

Heritage (NICH), who began Cultural Prop-

whose Chair is the President of NICH andas historical materials networks that aredisaster risk mitigation for cultural heritage

erties Salvage Efforts. In the four prefectures

whose Members are Directors of NICH mu-

formed through the cooperation of re-and strives to raise awareness about appro-of Miyagi, Iwate, Ibaraki, and Fukushima, theseums and research institutes. It then estab-searchers in such areas as history and an-

priate methods. The Task Force is also inte-

Committee rescued and preserved art-

lished a Secretariat Office of the National

thropology.

grating and ensuring the functionality of theworks, natural history samples, official docu-

Task Force for CH-DRM Net under the su-(3) A third component is the Executive

network. In this way, the Task Force seeks toments, books and other documents thatpervision of the Headquarters. The National

Committee of CH-DRM Net, mostly com-

establish a national framework for cultural

chronicle regional history and culture.*

Task Force is staffed by researchers fromprising stakeholder organizations that par-heritage disaster risk mitigation.

NICH institutions who holdticipated in the Committee for Salvaging

adjunct appointments with the Task Force.

Cultural Properties Affected by the 2011

tural Properties, NICH) was formed of 13 arts

①Activities to preserve documentation of intangible
cultural heritage. Video documentation of traditional techniques(Photo: Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties).

Earthquake off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku

An enormous amount of cultural heritage

In March 2013, the Committee was dissolved after two years of activities, and a
symposium was held outlining its activities.
At the symposium, attendees called for thepreservation of the Committee framework*Disaster-Affected Cultural Properties Salvage Operations (better known as “Cultural Properties Salvage Operations”), under the auspices of the Agency for Cultural Affairs: These operations
are instigated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs when works of art and other cultural properties are affected by natural disasters. They facilitate emergency conservation of cultural heritageand protection of cultural heritage from disposal, loss, and theft in accordance with the scale and type of disaster. (Operations were first organized after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake
in 1995; they also operated for a two-year period after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. More recently, Operations were conducted after the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes.)04

Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation Network, Japan

Activities

Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation Network, Japan

Agency for Cultural Affairs

Executive Committee of the Cultural Heritage
Disaster Risk Mitigation Network

National Institutes for Cultural Heritage

Participating Organizations
National Institutes for Cultural Heritage(an Independent Administrative Institution)

Headquarters of the National Task Force for
the Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk
Mitigation Network

National Museum of Art(an Independent Administrative Institution)
National Museum of Nature and Science(an Independent Administrative Institution)

Chair:
President of the National Institutes for
Cultural Heritage (NICH)

National Institutes for the Humanities
Inter-University Research Institute Corporation)

Vice-Chair: Director of NICH

Cooperation

Board Members:
Vice Director of NICH

Executive Committee of CH-DRM Net. Meetings are held biannually, chaired by the President of NICH.

Goals of the National Task Force for CH-DRM Net

National Archives of Japan(an Incorporated Administrative Agency)
Japanese Association of Museums(a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation)

Executive Directors and Directors General of
NICH Institutions
Secretary-General of NICH

Japan Library Association(a Public Interest Incorporated Association)

Head, Secretariat of the National Task Force for
CH-DRM Net

Japanese Council of Science Museums
Japan Society for the Conservation of Cultural Property(a General Incorporated Association)

1.Framework Development

Japanese Archaeological Association(a General Incorporated Association)(1) The Task Force strives to deepen public understanding for regional cultural heritage.
(2) When a natural disaster occurs, it quickly gathers information about affected cultural heritage and conducts surveys or inventories.

National Diet Library(3) It reviews the partnerships and cooperation necessary to employ optimal methods for the salvage, conservation, and storage of cultural
heritage in the disaster areas.

National Task Force for the Cultural Heritage
Disaster Risk Mitigation Network

Japan Society for Scientific Studies on Cultural Properties(4) It develops a large-scale system for mutual cooperation among owners of cultural heritage, local citizens, stakeholder organizations,groups and experts, local government agencies, and the national government.

Head, Secretariat of the National Task Force for
CH-DRM Net

The Japan Society of Archives Institutions

Members, National Task Force for CH-DRM Net(adjunct posts with other NICH Institutions)

Miyagi Shiryounet (Network for Preserving Historical Materials)(a Specified Nonprofit Corporation)

Tokyo National Museum

Rekishishiryo-net(Network for Historical Materials)

2. Research(1) The Task Force conducts research on types of disaster mitigation, rescue, and conservation for cultural heritage, and then disseminates
information on the results of those studies.
(2) It conducts research on diagnosing deterioration, conservation environment, stabilization measures, and conservation for disaster-affected cultural heritage, and utilizes the results of these studies in onsite operations as appropriate.
(3) It conducts research on such issues as disaster risk mitigation for intangible cultural heritage and preservation of cultural heritage after
disasters.

3. Capacity Building and the Release and Dissemination of Information(1) The Task Force utilizes the results of research studies and methods and techniques from related groups and experts in order to try andtrain professionals capable of carrying out the disaster risk mitigation and salvage of cultural heritage. It provides trainings to officials of
local government agencies.
(2) It holds lectures and symposia to deepen understanding among regional residents of cultural heritage disaster risk mitigation and toheighten awareness of ongoing conservation of regional cultural heritage.

Kyoto National Museum

The Japan Council of Art Museums

The Japan University Museology Course Council

CoordinatedCommunication

Nara National Museum

Natural History Museum Network of Western Japan(a Specified Nonprofit Corporation)

Kyushu National Museum

National Council of History and Folk Museums

Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural
Properties

The University Museums Council

Nara National Research Institute for Cultural
Properties
International Research Centre for Intangible
Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region

Foundation for Cultural Heritage and Art Research(a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation)
Japan Conservation Project(a Specified Nonprofit Corporation)
The Society for MINGU of Japan
Kyushu and Yamaguchi Museum Partnership Committee

Organizations
About the Executive Committee of CH-DRM Net
In order to achieve shared understanding about the necessity toconstruct a network and to facilitate the implementation of
future activities, the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage(NICH) contacted associated organizations and other stakeholder
organizations related to cultural heritage and disaster risk mitigation (with a focus on former participants in the Committee for

05

Salvaging Cultural Properties Affected by the 2011 Earthquake off
the Pacific Coast of Tohoku and Related Disasters) and established the Executive Committee of CH-DRM Net.
The 24 groups listed on next page currently participate in the
Executive Committee. NICH is seeking additional participation fromother organizations that agree with the goals of the Task Force.

Recommendations

Consultation

Expert Committee of the Cultural
Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation Network

Development and strengthening of partnerships

Local government agencies andregional partner organizations(as of November 2017)06

Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation Network, Japan

2. Research and Surveys

Emergency treatment of paper documents exposed to water leaks.

Administrative documents and other materials exposed to water during torrential
rains in Kanto and Tohoku in September 2015. These were salvaged andgiven emergency treatments such as rinsing (Joso City Hall, 2015).

Cultural heritage rescue activities by the Agency for Cultural Affairs for archival
material and other documents damaged by the Kumamoto Earthquakes (2016).

For documents rescued from disasters such as torrential
rains, the Task Force conducts research on emergency
treatments utilizing vacuum freeze dryers at the
Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.

Research Related to Disaster Risk Mitigation, Salvage, Conservation, and Preservation
Sharing of Cultural Heritage Location
Information Databases
The Task Force researches and constructs databases for disaster risk mitigation as well assalvage and conservation activities after natural
disasters. It also makes recommendations for
future cultural heritage databases.
(1) Collection, Organization, and Sharing ofRegionally Designated Cultural Heritage
The Agency for Cultural Affairs operates the
databases “Cultural Heritage Online” and the“Nationally Designated Cultural Properties Database” for nationally registered cultural heritage; however, sufficient integration is still lacking for regionally designated cultural properties. By constructing and integrating databases
related to regional cultural properties including
movable and immovable cultural heritage aswell as intangible cultural heritage, the Task
Force contributes to disaster risk mitigation
measures during normal times, and proposes
the creation of guidelines for quickly ascertaining damage status after disasters.
(2) Construction of Archeological Site Databases for Historical Natural Disasters
Based on more than 10,000 instances of archeological excavation site data and more than
800 instances of disaster site data, the Task
Force is constructing an archeological site
database for historical natural disasters. It seeks

09

Documentation of Important Intangible Folk Cultural
Property “Kizumi Wisteria Winnowing Baskets
Production Techniques“(Sosa City, Chiba Prefecture.
Photo: Tokyo National Research Institute forCultural Properties)

out the history of disasters not recorded in literature or other information on natural disasters
in ancient times. This information will be used
to help mitigate disaster risk in the future.
Research Related to the Documentation of
Intangible Cultural Heritage
Natural disasters that inflict severe damage
sometimes devastate regional communities.
This can lead to the disappearance of annual
regional events and locally distinctive occupations. Conversely, reviving those events andrestoring local livelihoods and their associatedtechniques can drive regional revitalization.
Creating video records of intangible cultural
heritage in advance prevents the loss of intangible cultural heritage during disasters and provides clues for later restoration and recovery.

Creation of Video Records for Cultural
Heritage Rescue Activities
Retaining video records of how rescue activities were conducted makes it possible to evaluate activities and utilize the results of such evaluation to implement appropriate activities in
the future. Moreover, the Task Force creates
easy-to-understand video summaries of conservation methods for affected materials fromdisaster areas. It also creates written documentation that may be used as reference materials
for trainings and educational activities related
to cultural heritage disaster risk mitigation, as
well as in the event of actual disasters.
Research on the Creation of Maps for theConservation of Regional Cultural Heritage
In order to protect regional cultural heritage
from extinction due to natural disaster, in addition to making comprehensive cultural heritage lists across different fields, the Task Forceis creating a model map (digital map) for theconservation of cultural heritage, which organically connects existing documents. This initiative has been made possible by Hirogawa
Town and Yuasa Town in Arida District,
Wakayama Prefecture, and by cultural property
owners and related organizations in each town.

Research on Disaster-Affected Cultural
Heritage Conservation Treatments andPreservation Environments as Well as
Guideline Formulation and Disclosure
Cultural heritage can incur various types ofdamage depending on the scale and particulars of a disaster. Because of the need forspeedy rescue and conservation treatments, it
is greatly helpful to have reference manuals
prepared in advance.
Various types of manuals have already beencreated by numerous related groups andexperts; however, depending on the particular
types of damage that result from disasters,
there are often cases in which exiting methods
cannot be simply applied without modification. Also, subsequent follow-ups haverevealed cases in which the initial conservation
treatments have caused additional problems.
The National Institutes for Cultural Heritage(NICH) has established divisions for researchingconservation and restoration techniques atnational research institutes and has deployedresearchers specializing in cultural heritage
conservation science to national museums.
Furthermore, with cooperation from external
experts, NICH is conducting research on suchareas as conservation treatments and the maintenance of conservation environments at temporary facilities. The findings of this research
will be used as a basis for policy formation in
the future.

Conducting research to consider how to preserve
natural history samples and documents damaged
by disasters.

Research Contributing to Disaster Risk
Mitigation and Disaster Preparedness for
Natural Archaeological Relics and Natural
History Specimens
By researching disaster-affected zoological andbotanical archaeological relics recovered fromdisaster areas and currently stored in collection
facilities in disaster areas, the Task Force considers conservation and management systems
for disaster risk mitigation and reduction. The
Task Force also collects information on thelocation of natural history samples at local government agencies and, as a case study, has created a list of shellfish samples held at the Nara
National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. By doing so, the Project reviews methodsof sharing and disclosing location information.

Consideration of Various Issues Related to
Natural Disaster-Damaged Cultural Heritage
The Task Force deploys experts and provides
technology and information in response tofrequently occurring natural disasters. During thetorrential rains in Kanto and Tohoku in 2015,
numerous experts and volunteers were mobilized to support the salvage of administrative
documents at Joso City Hall, which were damaged by flooding. After the Kumamoto Earthquakes in 2016, at the behest of the Agency for
Cultural Affairs, the Task Force implemented Cultural Properties Salvage Operations in fiscal 2016,
which were conducted in cooperation with local
stakeholders. During that year in Kumamoto,14,000 objects were rescued from a total of 28
locations. (Reported by the Kumamoto Prefectural Committee for Distribution of Reconstruction
Funds to Cultural Properties and Other Objects
Damaged by the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes).
The Task Force continues to make recommendations for management methods from fiscal 2017.
In all cases, the National Task Force for
CH-DRM Net works in close cooperation withstakeholder organizations and officials at local
government agencies in disaster regions, takes
all possible measures to conduct rescue activities using optimal methods, and reviews how
best to prepare for subsequent disasters.
Knowledge obtained from these activities isdiscussed and recorded at symposia andresearch conferences.

10

Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation Network, Japan

3. Capacity Building and the Release and Dissemination of Information

Cultivating personnel who perform disaster risk mitigation and rescue activities for cultural heritage❻
Symposia
Symposia are held to widely increase public recognition of the Task Force and to increase understanding
among regional citizens of the importance of cultural
heritage disaster risk mitigation. In addition, Japaneseexperts hold professional conferences in order todeepen understanding of techniques and principles
of protection for regional cultural heritage. The Task❸

Force is also working to learn from the experience of
foreign experts by holding international symposia❼

aimed at increasing specialized knowledge.
Trainings
In order to increase the number of personnel capableof responding to a natural disaster with expert knowledge on cultural heritage, the Task Force holds trainings for cultural heritage officials at local government
agencies and other individuals. It is also effective to❶❹provide advance training to firsthand responders
such as firefighters and others who might be called to❽duty such as professional art shipping company handlers who transport cultural properties. The Task
Force has also been involved in organizing international training programs providing expertise gained
through Japanese CH-DRM efforts to serve as reference for natural disasters in other countries.

❺

Online Information Disclosure❶ Lecture at the Kyoto National Museum as part of the UNESCO Chair Programme on
Cultural Heritage and Risk Management (2017).

Information on Task Force activities is publically re-❷There are many different types of disasters. When removing cultural heritages left inevacuation zones in Fukushima Prefecture, radiation doses were measured out ofconcern for worker health and impact on storage locations. Also, workers attended
lectures on the types and effects of radiation and methods for measuring it (Fukushima
Prefecture Cultural Properties Center Shirakawa Hall-Mahoron, 2016. Photo: Tokyo
National Research Institute for Cultural Properties).

leased on the website as it becomes available. This
helps introduce the cultural heritage disaster mitigation activities of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH) and other organizations and raises broad-❸Public symposium “Considering Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Mitigation and Disaster
Preparedness with the Community, III” (Kyushu National Museum, 2016).

er awareness about the importance of day-to-day disaster prevention and preparation for cultural heri-❹Cooperation with regional volunteers to collect basic information on cultural heritage
located in the region (Kyushu National Museum).

tage, as well as the importance of cooperation during
the time of disaster.
https://ch-drm.nich.go.jp/

11❻❼❽During trainings for cultural heritage
officials at local government agencies, practical
exercises were held on specialized treatments
such as cleaning of ancient documents andother paper document that incurred water
damage due to natural disaster (Nara National
Research Institute for Cultural Properties, 2016).

❷❺During disasters, rescue activities take place through cooperation with numerous
stakeholders. This training taught appropriate methods for handling cultural properties
to firefighters, with the assumption that these first responders might actually do thesalvage. (Tokyo National Museum, 2014).

12